My Curcumin Protocol

Here it is, finally. I have been procrastinating about posting the protocol on my blog, even though I have written it out in countless private e-mails, mainly because I felt I should add a disclaimer, and, to be honest, I didn’t want to do that. The only reason I decided I needed to put a disclaimer here is because I have seen other alternative cancer treatment blogs do it. So, first, let’s get the disclaimer out of the way: my blog presents information based on my own experience and research. I do NOT intend to tell others what to do, or to become a substitute for anybody’s healthcare provider. I am not a doctor, just a researcher who has come up with a protocol that so far has worked to keep my MM stable. I cannot be held responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the application of the information contained in my blog. So, for instance, if curcumin gives you a bit of diarrhea, don’t say I didn’t warn you! (see my Warnings Page).

Phew. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get down to business. This is the protocol that I followed last January, based on what I read etc. (I am still on eight grams of curcumin a day). I followed the initial protocol for eight weeks, then had blood tests repeated:

Week One: one gram of curcumin

Week Two: two grams of curcumin

Week Three: four grams of curcumin

Week Four (and thereafter): eight grams of curcumin

1. I will NOT recommend any specific curcumin brands. For one thing, I live in Italy, so my experience with U.S. brands is rather limited. For another, I do not want to sponsor any particular brand. Truth be told, I do not have a favourite brand. However, make sure your curcumin contains at least 95 % curcuminoids. Anything less than that is apparently useless.

2. Curcumin with or without bioperine (from black pepper)? That is an issue that I am still thinking about and researching. My capsules do contain bioperine, which apparently increase bioavailability. And it is true that my IgG count plus other markers have improved. So it’s up to you to decide.

3. Divide your curcumin intake into two or three doses a day, if possible. I am considering another experiment (for the fall): dividing my curcumin intake into four doses in order to keep curcumin in my bloodstream in a more constant manner. But I haven’t tried that yet, so I don’t know if it works. For now, I am sticking to the twice a day protocol.

4. If possible, take curcumin on an empty stomach. If your stomach rumbles, and you would prefer to take it with food, please leave me a comment or write me an e-mail, and I will get back to you with some advice. And please let me know if you experience any weird side effects, so I can post them on my Warnings Page.

5. Other curcumin-takers and I take our curcumin with some sort of fat, as follows: flaxseed oil or fish oil capsules. Curcumin has poor bioavailability (see my Bioavailability Page), so until researchers come up with a more bioavailable formula, we will simply have to rely on our own research and the experience of others. Based on that experience etc., it appears to be best to take curcumin WITH some sort of oil capsule, so it will be better absorbed.

6. Since January, I have been taking quercetin about 15 minutes before curcumin. See my page on quercetin for more details. I now take one gram of quercetin a day.

7. Before taking curcumin, check with your healthcare provider, especially if you are doing chemotherapy. Also, check my Warnings Page, I repeat. Some folks should NOT take it, as a precaution.

8. Last but not least, have blood tests done before and after you try the initial eight-week protocol. Otherwise, how will you know that curcumin works for you? 🙂 And please keep me posted! Thank you!

I just looked at your side effects and warnings page again. It has another well-documented benefit beyond those you mention: it is a COX-2 inhibitor and therefore acts as an anti-inflammatory (natural NSAID), so it can help control chronic pain. I currently take two Aleve tablets per day to manage chronic headache (cause unknown) and I hope to reduce or eliminate that when my curcumin protocol begins.

I had been taking my curcumin for 1 1/2 wks, but then developed a UTI (I have kappa light chain MM, that only effects my kidneys). Have you heard anything about curcumin aggravating the bladder or kidneys? I wrote to Dr. Aggarwal before starting, and he indicated that curcumin actually protects the kidneys. I had to interrupt the protocol to clear up the UTI, and will restart once I am well again. By the way, my oncologist is not thrilled with this, and insists I get lab work every 2 wks. Fine with me – I just want to keep taking the curcumin!

Following a 4 month course of cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone and thalidomide my paraprotein (IgG) level dropped from 71 to 11. Needless to say, I am anxious to maintain or improve that level and I have decided to follow your curcumin protocol and a fish oil supplement.

I purchased 500mg Doctor’s Best capsules from http://www.bodykind.com in the UK. The recommended dose is three capsules (1.5 grams) per day. However in week 4 of your protocol you are recommending 8 grams, which is 16 capsules. Can you confirm that I am reading this dosage correctly as I obviously do not want to ‘overdose’.

Thank you so much for such an informative blog and I look forward to hearing from you.

I read your article regards multiple myeloma and curcumin with great interest.
I am currently trying to manage a patient who has decided not to go down the route of conventional management. As well as being orthodox, I am also a natural health practitioner.
However, none of the remedies prescribed have had any impact on his blood results:
As at 30/06/’17
Hypercalcaemia (2.78mmol/L)
Free kappa (1489.6mg/L) and free Lambda (0.9mg/L)
Kappa/Lambda ratio (1655.11)
Thankfully he is asymptomatic of Band type IgGK.
I would be more than willing to fill you in with more detail upon your request.
We are both very keen to start a course of curcumin C3 complex, but it’s proving difficult to source, and we are naturally wary of purchasing over the internet.
I would be most grateful for any advice and guidance you may be able to offer.
Many thanks for your kind attention and I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr Yvonne Casey

My name is Mariola, I am from Poland, I am 57 years old, I have colon cancer, a very large tumor 14cm, inoperable. After chemotherapy, hemoglobin drops very much, diarrhea occurs and I have had neuropathy, which involved blood transfusion. My weight is 47 kg at the moment. Currently, my hemoglobin is 9.4 g / dl. I have a very low level of iron – ferritin 12.5 ?g / l. I would like to be treated with curcumin. How should I use it considering the low level of iron and hemoglobin?

I have started the Curcumin regimen you have prescribed and i am on My 2nd week.
I am taking the curcumin supplements (570 gm each, pure curcumin) 2 pills at lunch and the other two at dinner.
To increase the Bioavailabilty of Curcumin i am adding to my lunch and dinner meals (mixed with food) one table spoon of Ex. Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil and enough black pepper freshly grinded (peperine supplements are not available locally). I take one Curcumin supplement at the middle of my meal and one at the end.

I am writing for my father. we have same problem as Cameron`s problem. Sorry to ask you same question again.

I purchased 410mg curcumin (Vega Vero 410mg Curcimin + Piperin) in the UK and recommended dose is three capsules (=1.5 grams) per day. However in week 4 of your protocol you are recommending 8 grams, which is 16 capsules. Can you confirm that I am reading this dosage correctly as I obviously do not want to ‘overdose’.

hey,
what a plethora of inimitable and most useful information here !
thanks, Magaret and her bloggers

I’ve been watching the curcuma field for a long time and found Magaret’s
astonishing curcuma/chocolate mix some years ago. Now that i am pers.
involved with AML, I use a multitude of phytomedicins/ herbs on a regular basis.

My points with curcuma are:
– 8 gr/day is seen as the quantity to reach therapeutic serum levels of curcumins and is found to be completely nontoxic (given that no rare and distinct medical reasons interfere)
– standard bioenhancer here is – known for hundreds of years in ayurveda – piperin, found in black pepper. I use trikatu, an ayurvedic mixture of black pepper, long pepper (piper longumin is very helpful on myeloic diseases and cancer alone) and ginger (!)
– bioavailabilty is always enhanced mixing curcuma up with fats, oils and oil /water phase mediators or emulgators such as phospholipids and lecithins.

my current CURCY-recipe is:
Curcuma extract (10:1) about 0.7-1,5 gr (**) and a knive’s tip of trikatu. These added to bio soy cream (50-100 ml, 10% fat, already containing natural emulgators) and an additional light teaspoon of lecithin granulate (more emulgator).
They are easily stirred up with a cheap coffee milk foamer to build an absoultely homogeneous full orange colored mixture. Then I give the lecithin-granulate some minutes to better dissolve with casual stiring.
Finally I add up unfiltered apple juice (contains another fine bioenhancer: quercetin), up to about 200 ml. – It tastes delicious. You can variate with compounds and taste.

Hi, Margaret!
I was wondering if the 8g of curcumin is based upon an average person’s weight? My mom has lost 30lb over the past few years and is approximately 90lb.
Secondly, she has a sensitive stomach, so I’m hoping that she can double the dosage past week 2, but may need to have her increase at a slower rate. Would that be a problem impacting the effectiveness of this?
Lastly, I understand that you say to take this on an empty stomach. We’ll do our best, but is it possible to take it with a little bit of food and fat in order to not have any negative side effects?
Thanks for your help!